An inquest has concluded that Lady Joan Branson, 80, died as a result of a pulmonary embolism — a blockage in a lung artery caused by a blood clot — which was likely preventable due to the failure of Lister Hospital in London to provide her with necessary preventative medication. Lady Joan passed away on November 24 after suffering a cardiac arrest at the private Lister Hospital, which is owned by HCA Healthcare. The virtual inquest, held at the Westminster Coroner’s Court, found that she had a very high risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition where blood clots form in the deep veins of the legs, but she did not receive anticoagulant treatment, which is used to prevent such clots from forming. Lady Joan had been admitted to the hospital on November 17 after suffering a fall on Necker Island, a private Caribbean retreat owned by her husband, billionaire Sir Richard Branson. The fall, which she described to her GP as "tripping over some slippers by the bed," caused fractures to her pelvis and right hip. Haematologist Dr George Adams, who testified at the inquest, stated that her immobility and the fracture placed her at an "extremely high risk" of developing blood clots. However, she was not given prophylactic anticoagulation — a preventive treatment — during her hospital stay, despite the high risk. Dr Adams said that this lack of treatment "probably prevented her from dying." The coroner, Professor Fiona Wilcox, described Lady Joan as a "wonderful woman" and noted that her death was not due to neglect or a complete absence of treatment. However, she emphasized that the failure to provide anticoagulation and a timely Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) assessment — a standard procedure to assess the risk of blood clots — contributed to her death. Lady Joan’s daughter, Dr Holly Branson, noted that her mother did not receive Thrombo-Embolus Deterrent stockings — designed to improve blood flow in the legs and reduce the risk of DVT — for the first 48 hours after admission. The admitting doctor, Dr Basir Kunduzi, acknowledged that Lady Joan should have been on anticoagulants and expressed regret over the lack of communication among medical staff. Following Lady Joan’s death, Sir Richard Branson paid tribute to his wife, calling her the "shining star around which our family’s universe has always orbited." He described their relationship as one filled with love, laughter, and shared memories, saying that life would never be the same without her. The inquest highlighted the importance of timely risk assessments and preventative care, and hospital officials stated they are working to strengthen their protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.